For determining the angular position of a target, radar sensors are applied, which comprise an antenna array either in the transmission path or in the receiving path. The antenna array has a number of antenna elements arranged linearly next to one another. In such case, the phase progression of the received signals associated with the individual antenna elements depends on the angular position of the target.
In the case of static targets, an angular position of a target can be ascertained with such antenna arrays. In the case of moving targets, however, a superpositioning of the phase progression caused by the angular position of the target and the phase progression caused by the velocity of the target occurs. In such case, only with complex analytical technologies, such as, for example, digital beam forming, is it possible to ascertain both the angular position as well as also the velocity of the target.
Such analytical techniques are, for example, described in the article “System modeling and signal processing for a switch antenna array radar” by Lee et al., IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Vol. 52, No. 6, 2004, in the article “High-resolution frequency-wavenumber spectrum analysis” by J. Capon, Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 57, No. 8, 1969, and in the article “Multiple emitter location and signal parameter estimation”, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 34, No. 3, 1986.